My next cat

I read this astonishing AP story today about the existence of a two-faced cat, known as a Janus cat.  Not only is this kitty cat alive, but he is the longest living of his type in the world - a whopping 12 years old.  Supposedly these cats are born with two faces, two mouths, noses, etc., and have a typical life expectancy of 1 to 4 days.  Janus cats rarely survive because birth defects associated with the condition make it difficult for them to breath and eat.

I know this may sound a little freakish on my part, but I think he's kind of adorable.  My only question...where can I get one of these precious, able-to-beat-the-odds Janus cats?  I think I may have found my next pet.

Duke Forest with new friends

Hubby, Caleb and I set out on a Sunday afternoon hike in September with new friends. Our church is partnering with Duke for the fall semester to serve as hosts for Chinese government officials.  Hubby and I were paired with a man named Fumin, who also has a toddler son. It's amazing how much he loved Caleb the first moment they met.  We are grateful for this growing relationship.  I bet it is hard to leave your home and your country for an entire semester to come study abroad.  One of our planned activities with Fumin was a hike at Duke Forest.  We knew he loved hiking, and the day was perfect. 

 

Birthday fun with hubby

It was a busy birthday weekend.  Hubby and I celebrated his 33rd year of life on Saturday.  We secured two very wonderful babysitters for Caleb and then hubby and I hit the town. I let him pick the itinerary, obviously, and most of it revolved around tasting the alcoholic beverages of Durham.

The first stop on Tour de Hubby was Wine Authorities for their Saturday tasting - though I failed to take any photos of that splendid event.

The next stop was Bull City Burger and Brewery, where hubby got down and dirty with a tasting flight that included 7 beers.  If I recall correctly those were: Parrish St. Pale Ale, Stierstadt Octoberfest, Pro Bono Publico Porter, 60 Shilling Scottish Ale, Dr. Bartlett’s Ordinary Bitter, Specialty Cayenne Hibiscus, and the Bryant Bridge Gateway Ale.

 

 

 

We also shared some Duck Frites and Deep Fried Pickle Chips. Double yum.

 

Hubby narrowed down his final selection to the Porter, which he took home in a growler.  Growlers are great. They are poured straight from the tap, last in the fridge for about 2 weeks unopened, and make husbands very happy.

Our next stop was Fullsteam Brewery - a first for us.  The setting was very fun and comfortable with food trucks parked outside, dart boards, and a "dogs allowed" policy.  There is also a great view of the brew house.

Lastly, we headed to Chapel Hill to dine at 411 West.  We began our meal with fresh baked bread and Caesar salads.  Hubby got a southwestern pizza and I got the seared salmon cakes, topped with tzatsiki sauce over hummus.

We brought home dessert to share in front of a movie - a slice of Millionaire Pie, a dreamy, creamy peanut buttery piece of heaven.

I had a divine time celebrating with my beloved.  Hope he enjoyed his big day.

Happy Birthday Melissa

 

Happy Birthday to the best sister anyone could ever ask for - my big sis, Melissa.  She is the sweetest, smartest, most beautiful person in the whole wide world.  I adore her with all my heart and have looked up to her since the day I was born.  I LOVE YOU MELISSA!!!!!!!

What's lurking in the woods?

That's the question I pose every day during my lunchtime walk.  What exactly is lurking in those woods? As you can see from the picture, there isn't much to see at all.  These woods are dense and overgrown.

 

I take a walk each day to get me away from the computer - otherwise my eyes go crazy.  The route I take winds around the back of the building where I work, along a back road that is lined with forest and a few other small businesses. 

 

It's not very scenic, but it gets the job done and allows me to step away from the office for about 20 minutes. 

These walks involve me, my tennis shoes, cell phone calls to family and friends, much-needed breaths of fresh Durham air, and my mind focused on counting my blessings.  But occasionally as I inhale the Durham air, I catch a whiff of something not so pleasant - foul even.  It is in these moments that I wonder, what is in these woods? Quite possibly someone dumped their trash beyond the edge of the forest.  Quite possibly a wild animal has ended its cycle of life.  But, I always - if only for a mere moment - allow myself to believe that there might be a dead human body tucked away back in those woods. 

See, this is what happens when you walk alone and have too much time to think.  You come up with crazy schemes about people dumping bodies among the trees.

Project Swing Set

For Caleb's 2nd birthday, we decided it was time to invest in a backyard swing set.  After much research and sifting through options, my sister recommended Walmart, and presto! There was a beautiful swing set for a reasonable price.  We asked friends and family to chip in for Caleb's birthday present. So many, many thanks to Melissa and Bryce, Mom (Mimi), Bridget and Tim, Dad & Cindy (Grandpa and Grandma), Debbie & Pat (Grammie and Granddaddy), and Tia Irene & Uncle Sam.  We couldn't have done it without you guys!

We waited patiently for the swing set to be shipped to our local Walmart and then, this past Saturday morning we took a family trip to pick it up from the store.  All the parts and pieces fit in one single box. Wow.

Caleb and I helped hubby sort through the pieces of wood, etc.  Then Caleb and I went inside while hubby did most of the work over the course of 5 hours.

 
It took two days for hubby to build, and I got to help a tiny bit on the second day with some easy drilling.  We let Caleb test it out first thing Monday morning.

I thought he'd be most obsessed with the slide.  Instead, he partied hard on the swing. 

The swing set includes this precious little picnic table on the back side and space for a sandbox or toy area below the "fort."

Caleb loves climbing up the ladder to the fort and the slide.

 Once he's up there he thinks he is in charge of things.

 

 

 

 

 

The hardest part of this project was convincing Caleb that he needed a nap this afternoon.  He desperately wanted to go back outside to the swing set.  So I told him the reason we take naps is so that we have energy to play hard on the swing set.

A baby on the way

Hubby and I have great news to share!  Around March 8th of next year we'll be welcoming another baby into the Busbee clan.  I took a positive pregnancy test on the 4th of July and was absolutely thrilled.  Hubby and I had been trying to conceive since February. We tried our best to be patient.  If our first pregnancy taught us anything, it was that God is in charge - his plan is worth waiting for.  I always think about how miraculous it is that we ended up with Caleb as our son.  That alone helped me be patient and positive this time around.  Then I think about all the people out there who have waited much longer, and all the people out there who desperately want to be parents but who can't.  We are so grateful for what God has given us.

We went to the doctor when I was 8 weeks along and got this sweet little ultrasound, which allowed us to see the heartbeat, see the baby wiggling his/her arms and legs, and see the brain and organs forming.

I just finished my first trimester and am grateful to have recently said goodbye to my nausea.  This pregnancy has been so different from my first already.  It's been fairly easy and stress-free.  My belly is already expanding, as well as the rest of my body.  I can already feel the baby moving sometimes - only very tiny flutters.  I've been craving only salty food.  Seriously, all I want to eat is bacon, pickles, olives, cheese and pretzels.  I haven't been craving sweets like I normally do.  But who knows what the next 6 months will bring.  I'm looking forward to finding out!

Photo of the Day

I call this "Black Bean Face."  Caleb was an interesting young fellow all day today, acting like a typical two-year-old having a bad day.  He fussed and cried most of the day while hubby started putting together a new swing set for Caleb.  I struggled to keep this little boy happy, but for some odd reason even popsicles, pool time, and playdough couldn't keep a smile on his face.  Yet, come dinner time, black beans became the answer to our prayers.  Finally, Caleb was a happy boy and painted the evidence all over his face.  Thank God for Goya.